Kiss Me, Katie by Monica Tillery Page A

evidence. I’m sure that Blake will get security tightened up and you’ll be safe while we figure everything out.” Charles sat beside Katie and rubbed her back. “It’s going to be all right, kiddo. I promise.”
    Katie put her head in her hands while tears streamed down her face. She looked up into Charles’s kind eyes and cried, “God, what if it’s some crazy person obsessed with Blake? What if they’re trying to get rid of me?”
    “I don’t know, sweetheart, but it’s going to be fine. I really don’t think you should read that much into it before we know what happened. Chances are it was just a random act of vandalism, maybe some prank.” Charles continued to rub Katie’s back and tried to soothe her.
    Blake returned to the front lounge and set his phone down on Caroline’s desk. “Security is on their way. They’ll meet with the police and then they’ll probably want to talk with you guys. I want Katie to stay with me while they check everything out. I can ask Caroline to help find a place to get the tires replaced while we’re on site today. We’ll probably have to get a few extra guys out to watch over the buses while we’re away, too. The drivers will be here but they shouldn’t have to worry about this while they are getting the rigs ready to roll out.”
    Katie began crying again in earnest. Blake sat down beside her and pulled her close, holding her in his arms. Charles stood up and awkwardly moved towards the door, not sure whether to stay or go. Blake stroked Katie’s hair and kissed her tear-streaked cheeks while he whispered to her softly. He looked up and met Charles’s eyes and waved him out. “I’ve got her. You go on ahead.”
    Katie took a deep breath and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m scared, Blake. I feel like this is because of me.”
    “Hey, look at me.” Blake’s voice was firm but gentle, and Katie turned her tear-stained face towards him. “This is NOT your fault, sweetheart. I don’t want to hear that again,” he insisted. “There’s no reason to think that this happened because of you or that you’re in any danger. We’ll get extra security out here until we find out what happened.”
    “I just feel horrible. I don’t know how we’re going to afford this, and we were barely starting to break even as it was, between the tour and all our new expenses. You know? Now we’re going to need new tires, more security, and that means more money. The guys aren’t going to come out and say it, but they’ve got to think it’s because of me. I don’t know what to do,” she finished weakly.
    “You’re not a liability, and I don’t know why on earth you think that this is somehow your fault. Even if this is the work of a fan trying to send a message to you, it’s still not your fault. I’m sure insurance will cover the tires and if not, it’s just money. I can pay for the tires, and I’m happy to do it. Nobody thinks this is your fault. The guys really care about you, you know, I can tell when I see y’all together. All you need to worry about right now is staying safe and doing your job. We’ll figure the rest out.” Blake planted a kiss on Katie’s forehead and smoothed a lock of hair behind her ear.
    Just being near Blake, safe in his arms soothed Katie. His confidence almost made her believe that everything would turn out all right. Katie was humbled by Blake’s unconditional promise to keep her safe, by his offers to care for her without hesitation. She could fall in love with this man. It would be so easy. And it was going to be so hard to let him go.
    • • •
    Blake sat in the front lounge of his massive tour bus, across the desk from Caroline Mathers. She looked at him over the top of her glasses and crossed her legs under her chair as she leaned forward on her elbows.
    “So let me get this straight, you want to hire a security guard just for Katie, and you haven’t asked her what she thinks?”
    “That’s